Luís Alves, at 81 years old, had his life and career documented in the book "Memories of a River Keeper", a work written by João Monteiro Serrano and published by Tagus Association. For three decades, Alves traversed the Middle Tagus, crossing stretches of the Tagus river and its streams between Constância and Belver, deeply knowing each locality, the fishermen, the boats and the water uses of the region.
The profession of river keeper disappeared almost 30 years ago, but the knowledge accumulated by Luís Alves during his decades of work remains relevant. The former river keeper held practical wisdom about where intervention was necessary and, equally important, where it was better not to interfere, knowledge that can be applied in the protection of freshwater courses today.
The work recovers memories of a time when there were no technologies, alert systems or emergency crews, and those who knew the river did so on foot, walking the banks and streams. This traditional knowledge about rivers and their problems can today help protect freshwater courses, constituting a legacy that continues to teach us even after the disappearance of its guardians.
